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iPad is a Personal Computer

macgeek18

macgeek18

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Sep 8, 2009
1,847
732
Northern California
I have been thinking about tablets recently and all the devices I have had over the last almost 8 years. My first tablet was a new iPad 2 back in 2010 when I got out of the Army. It was my first purchase at a Best Buy on my way home from my duty station. I had a very capable Thinkpad at the time and my laptop was completely replaced by the iPad for around a year before I sold it. I did all of my personal computing on that iPad and for most tasks it was completely solid. My second tablet was in 2013 when I bought a Google Nexus 7. That tablet was great and I sold it to a friend who sold it to another friend who still uses it to this day. At the time my needs were very light and the Nexus completed all that’s I needed and my MBP just sat in my room barely being used. Now I have an iPad Pro and Mini 2 that I bought last year. The Mini still gets used as my web browsing machine on my nightstand and I’ve been using the iPad Pro as my primary device and pushing its limits to see how capable it is. I’m typing this on it now. I still need my MBA and desktop for some tasks but honestly the tablet is getting very close to being all I need. I just wanted to post my thoughts and I really want Google to put out a new Android tablet so I can see what Android Oreo can do on a tablet. I feel like in a few years most of us will be running tablets as our primary devices.
 
macgeek18 said:
I have been thinking about tablets recently and all the devices I have had over the last almost 8 years. My first tablet was a new iPad 2 back in 2010 when I got out of the Army. It was my first purchase at a Best Buy on my way home from my duty station. I had a very capable Thinkpad at the time and my laptop was completely replaced by the iPad for around a year before I sold it. I did all of my personal computing on that iPad and for most tasks it was completely solid. My second tablet was in 2013 when I bought a Google Nexus 7. That tablet was great and I sold it to a friend who sold it to another friend who still uses it to this day. At the time my needs were very light and the Nexus completed all that’s I needed and my MBP just sat in my room barely being used. Now I have an iPad Pro and Mini 2 that I bought last year. The Mini still gets used as my web browsing machine on my nightstand and I’ve been using the iPad Pro as my primary device and pushing its limits to see how capable it is. I’m typing this on it now. I still need my MBA and desktop for some tasks but honestly the tablet is getting very close to being all I need. I just wanted to post my thoughts and I really want Google to put out a new Android tablet so I can see what Android Oreo can do on a tablet. I feel like in a few years most of us will be running tablets as our primary devices.
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I had both the original and updated Nexus 7 tablets and now, in addition to my Air 2, I have an 8" Galaxy Tab S2 that blows away the Nexus tablets and in fact now runs better than my Air 2 on iOS 11.
 
For me, I got rid of my MacBook Pro 2015 model, and using my iPad Pro 12.9 inch only. I’m glad I did, to save some bucks for my computer needs.
 
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macgeek18 said:
I still need my MBA and desktop for some tasks but honestly the tablet is getting very close to being all I need.
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I think that is true for most people. Web browsing, emails(minus attachments), videos, music, and simple stuff is great for a powerful tablet. But for all computing activities? Nah.
 
Count Blah said:
I think that is true for most people. Web browsing, emails(minus attachments), videos, music, and simple stuff is great for a powerful tablet. But for all computing activities? Nah.
Click to expand...
For most people a tablet is all they need. I still need a dedicated laptop and desktop and a tablet is not going to replace my desktop at work for a long time. But I am amazed at how far iOS and Android have come.
 
macgeek18 said:
For most people a tablet is all they need. I still need a dedicated laptop and desktop and a tablet is not going to replace my desktop at work for a long time. But I am amazed at how far iOS and Android have come.
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Except for a true file system, mouse support and MacOS applications - yes the iPad is a very capable device.
 
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ABC5S said:
For me, I got rid of my MacBook Pro 2015 model, and using my iPad Pro 12.9 inch only. I’m glad I did, to save some bucks for my computer needs.
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Did the same but from a 2016 MBP.
 
macgeek18 said:
For most people a tablet is all they need. I still need a dedicated laptop and desktop and a tablet is not going to replace my desktop at work for a long time. But I am amazed at how far iOS and Android have come.
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Yeah, I still use my Windows desktop at home a lot because I like the larger monitor and I take my laptop on travel, primarily for photo editing and management of large numbers of RAW files on a hard drive (I also need a mouse for my work due to having hand tremors).
 
I left the MacBook Pro, but have a Mac mini home server to do heavier tasks. The mini was my first desktop since 2004. The Mini and a 12.9 iPad Pro seems to be a perfect balance for my needs.
 
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If you have simple needs, then an iPad may be all you need. but then you may need the iPad Pro, not the regular iPad, since you will probably want to easily type text on it if you want it to be your computer.

An iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard will cost USD 808. If you also want the Apple Pencil (and who doesn't?), the price goes up to USD 907. And we're talking about the 10.5-inch version with only 64 GB SSD, and no LTE. The top-range iPad Pro with a 12.9-inch screen, 512 GB, and cellular, will cost USD 1,547 with the Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil.

If all you need is a simple computer, perhaps you don't care a lot about computers and don't use them a lot. Then perhaps it doesn't matter if the computer is all that intuitive, and pleasant to use, or if it has a bright retina display with 600 nits and great color accuracy, nor great speakers. Perhaps you just want it to run everything, to connect a mouse, and to be able to stick a pen drive if you wish. Then perhaps you want to save some bucks and spend something in the range of USD 500 for a fully capable and functional, even though not as beautiful, Windows laptop, instead of an expensive iPad Pro.

Bottom line is, the iPad Pro may be a personal computer. But it is a simple one, and if all you want are simple tasks, you may not want to spend as much on a computer. There are cheaper options. The iPad Pro probably appeals more to those with specific needs, such as drawing with the Apple Pencil.
 
skaertus said:
If you have simple needs, then an iPad may be all you need. but then you may need the iPad Pro, not the regular iPad, since you will probably want to easily type text on it if you want it to be your computer.

An iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard will cost USD 808. If you also want the Apple Pencil (and who doesn't?), the price goes up to USD 907. And we're talking about the 10.5-inch version with only 64 GB SSD, and no LTE. The top-range iPad Pro with a 12.9-inch screen, 512 GB, and cellular, will cost USD 1,547 with the Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil.

If all you need is a simple computer, perhaps you don't care a lot about computers and don't use them a lot. Then perhaps it doesn't matter if the computer is all that intuitive, and pleasant to use, or if it has a bright retina display with 600 nits and great color accuracy, nor great speakers. Perhaps you just want it to run everything, to connect a mouse, and to be able to stick a pen drive if you wish. Then perhaps you want to save some bucks and spend something in the range of USD 500 for a fully capable and functional, even though not as beautiful, Windows laptop, instead of an expensive iPad Pro.

Bottom line is, the iPad Pro may be a personal computer. But it is a simple one, and if all you want are simple tasks, you may not want to spend as much on a computer. There are cheaper options. The iPad Pro probably appeals more to those with specific needs, such as drawing with the Apple Pencil.
Click to expand...

I have been seeing a lot of Dell 2-in-1's at college campus' these days. The 3000 series are $300 so I see a lot of students with them. What a horrible experience to go through school with. The iPad/iPad Pro is not for everyone. But as a basic personal computer you couldn't go very wrong with it. I won't be replacing my laptop/desktop for at least a decade with just a tablet. I'm expecting half a decade out of my MBA and desktop alone. My iPad? Not so much.
 
I wish that I felt this was true. I ended up putting my 6 months old iPad Pro in the drawer a few months ago along with my iPad Mini 2. I just have no need for them. My 2015 MBP and my phone is all I need.

Till the iPad can do what my MBP can do, it will stay in the drawer.
 
JackieInCo said:
I wish that I felt this was true. I ended up putting my 6 months old iPad Pro in the drawer a few months ago along with my iPad Mini 2. I just have no need for them. My 2015 MBP and my phone is all I need.

Till the iPad can do what my MBP can do, it will stay in the drawer.
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate more on your use case so others actually understand why you prefer the MBP? Thanks!
 
macgeek18 said:
I have been thinking about tablets recently and all the devices I have had over the last almost 8 years. My first tablet was a new iPad 2 back in 2010 when I got out of the Army. It was my first purchase at a Best Buy on my way home from my duty station. I had a very capable Thinkpad at the time and my laptop was completely replaced by the iPad for around a year before I sold it. I did all of my personal computing on that iPad and for most tasks it was completely solid. My second tablet was in 2013 when I bought a Google Nexus 7. That tablet was great and I sold it to a friend who sold it to another friend who still uses it to this day. At the time my needs were very light and the Nexus completed all that’s I needed and my MBP just sat in my room barely being used. Now I have an iPad Pro and Mini 2 that I bought last year. The Mini still gets used as my web browsing machine on my nightstand and I’ve been using the iPad Pro as my primary device and pushing its limits to see how capable it is. I’m typing this on it now. I still need my MBA and desktop for some tasks but honestly the tablet is getting very close to being all I need. I just wanted to post my thoughts and I really want Google to put out a new Android tablet so I can see what Android Oreo can do on a tablet. I feel like in a few years most of us will be running tablets as our primary devices.
Click to expand...

Nice!, iPad Pro 12’9 and iPhone 7 is all i use, the way they talk to each other and speed of the pro is just brilliant, but best of all I like how personal the operating system is compared to High Seiera, it just feels so much more intimate to work on, and i feel more connected with notifications as well.
 
macgeek18 said:
I have been seeing a lot of Dell 2-in-1's at college campus' these days. The 3000 series are $300 so I see a lot of students with them. What a horrible experience to go through school with. The iPad/iPad Pro is not for everyone. But as a basic personal computer you couldn't go very wrong with it. I won't be replacing my laptop/desktop for at least a decade with just a tablet. I'm expecting half a decade out of my MBA and desktop alone. My iPad? Not so much.
Click to expand...

With the price of an iPad Pro + Smart Keyboard, you can buy something better than a Dell 3000 series. But the point is, if you could not care less about computers and need them only for the most basic tasks, why should you spend more money on a personal computer?
 
From it’s inception in 2010, the iPad has been a device that sits between a laptop and a smartphone. Indeed, it was designed to be better than a laptop for some common things that people do everyday; email, browsing the web, enjoying photos and video, reading books, and watching movies. As the iPad has evolved and improved, some folks have found that they can get by without a laptop for their mobile computing needs.......although, I suspect most of these people still own or have access to a desktop or some other traditional computer for heavier productivity needs.

However, when it comes to common productivity applications (writing, spreadsheet, and presentation software), a laptop or traditional computer is pretty hard to beat. Why? Because the whole operating system/UI (Keyboard/mouse vs touch) was designed around the use of common office applications. I am not saying that you can not use productivity apps on an iPad. You can. It is just not the optimal tool. If you have infrequent or light productivity needs while mobile, then the iPad may be the perfect solution.

Personally, I like having and using both an iPad and a MacBook. It’s nice to switch between form factors and operating systems depending on the application and use that best fits the device. With cloud serivices, there is no need to be forced into one device and the transition between devices is pretty seamless. If you buy wisely, it isn’t even that much more expensive to own both a laptop and iPad.
 
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